How much do ropes shrink as we use them? There is no standard test for this, so it becomes very hard to say.
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Ropebags make deploying ropes in canyons simple and efficient. Additionally, they help in transport and storage, but really, where they shine is in letting you get the rope out and set up quickly and with minimum hassle.
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Cold hands, cold feet? When out in the wild, in the cold, some people have trouble keeping their hands and feet warm and functional, and some people don't.
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How Hard Can You Pull? Walking down a canyon, you come to a drop. There is a piece of webbing coming out of the sand…
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It is a new approach to retrievable anchoring, opening up a wider range of possible anchors, and making it possible to descend more canyons while leaving nothing behind (aka “ghosting”).
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The Black Diamond ATC is a simple, versatile tool for belaying and rappelling. The original ATC works well with rock climbing ropes 10mm and larger…
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The Petzl Pirana is a Figure Eight based rappel device made specifically for canyoneering. It has several friction settings, so the correct friction for the rope/canyoneer/situation can usually be found…
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"Retrievable Anchors" are those where the webbing used to form an anchor is retrieved, leaving nothing behind. There are several good reasons for doing this including:
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One advantage of a Figure of Eight rappel device is that it can be locked off on the rope, a useful trick for some circumstances.
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OVERHAND ON A BIGHT The other "most-useful" knot in webbing is another overhand-type, the Overhand on a Bight. This is tied in webbing just as it is in rope.
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As a prelude to Water Knot instruction, a bit of mountain wisdom from Edward Whymper is appropriate: "There have been joys too great to be described in words, and there have been griefs upon which I have not dared to dwell…
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Among the most useful of knots for canyoneering, the Figure of Eight on a Bight produces a strong loop for clipping into…
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Sometimes it is a good idea to tie a harness from a length of webbing. Canyons in North Wash often only have one or two rappels, so a temporary webbing harness works well there. Sometimes your partner will goof up and forget his harness…
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Ghosting is the art of descending a canyon and leaving nothing behind. Ghosting techniques are used in selected places where leaving no visible anchors has a benefit.
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The Stone Knot (or Stein Knot) is a blocking knot technique that can improve safety and speed things up on canyoneering descents.
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There is a lot of discussion about the "best" knot for tying two ropes together. For canyoneering, for climbing, for whatever!
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"To me the simple act of tying a knot is an adventure in unlimited space. A bit of string provides a dimensional latitude that is unique among the entities." ~Clifford W. Ashley,
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